LDWF News

Sept. 1, 2011 – With Teal season opening Saturday, Sept. 10, hunters are reminded that Wham Brake in northeast Louisiana is now a part of Russell Sage Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Wham Brake, as it is locally known, will provide an additional 4,955 acres for hunting and other outdoor activities through a lease agreement recently signed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and International Paper (IP).

The Wham Brake area will be subject to all WMA rules and regulations including the 2 p.m. closure for waterfowl hunting and mandatory use of Self-Clearing Permits. The public must obtain and complete a Self-Clearing Permit from a kiosk located in the parking lot at the end of Buckley Hill Road. Buckley Hill Road is accessed via Stubbs Vinson Road which runs north from US Hwy. 80. Other WMA regulations can be found in the 2011-2012 Louisiana Hunting Regulations pamphlet or on the LDWF website at http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/regulations .

LDWF is allowing removal of duck blind structures or other private property within the Wham Brake acreage through Sept. 9, 2011. Hunters are reminded that hunting from any permanent structures will not be allowed. LDWF is interested in acquiring some existing blinds for possible use in youth waterfowl and Louisiana Hunting Heritage Program hunts, and will evaluate any structure offered for donation. The LDWF Monroe field office can be contacted for more information at 318-343-4044.

LDWF will be accepting public input on the future management of Wham Brake during a public meeting to be held locally in March of 2012. The public will be notified of the date and time for this public meeting.

For more information and directions to Russell Sage WMA, visit the LDWF web site athttp://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/wma or contact Jerald Owens or Charles Booth at 318-343-4044.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

Aug. 30, 2011 -- The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) reminds anyone using coastal wildlife management areas (WMA) with designated limited access areas (LAAs) that operation of boats with internal combustion engines, within those LAAs, is prohibited. The use of electric trolling motors will be allowed within the LAAs, however.

Two additional WMAs, Joyce and Manchac, have been added to the four LAAs established last hunting season to minimize disturbance to waterfowl, to aid in the protection of available habitat and to provide a better quality hunting experience for waterfowl hunters.

The areas delineated as LAAs on Atchafalaya Delta, Manchac, Pass a Loutre, Pointe aux Chenes and Salvador WMAs will be restricted from the first of September through the end of January. The restrictions at Joyce WMA will be in effect year round.

LAAs are posted with signage at access points and around the perimeter. Any vessel with a movable outdrive system may enter a LAA as long as the boat’s internal combustion engine is trimmed up out of the water in an inoperable position. Vessels with fixed props must adhere to the no operation rule. Trolling motors may be used to access and navigate within a LAA while hunting or fishing.

Anyone with questions on vessel operation within a LAA can call LDWF’s Enforcement Division Region 8 in New Orleans at 504-284-2023 or Region 6 in Thibodaux at 985-447-0821 during weekday business hours, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. To report violation of LAA rules, call 1-800-442-2511 toll free at any time.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

August 30, 2011 -- The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will provide public dove hunting opportunities for the Sept. 3 season opening on leased private land and state wildlife management areas.

The 2011-12 dove season opens this Saturday in the north and south zones and hunters have multiple options available. LDWF has leased private land in the following parishes for Sept. 3 only, from noon to sunset:

Beauregard Parish, DeRidder: 500 acres shredded or cut corn. Directions: Take Hwy. 190 west from DeRidder. The field is approximately 5 miles west of DeRidder on the north side of Hwy 190. Check-in will be at the rice dryers.

Jefferson Davis Parish, Welsh: 325-acre partially plowed fallow field, planted in rice last year. Directions: Take I-10 to Exit 59 (Roanoke). Head north on Hwy. 395, then turn west (left) on Blanchard Rd. Follow Blanchard Rd. to Compton Rd. Field is located on the southwest corner of Blanchard and Compton roads.Bottom of Form

The leased fields will be open to public dove hunting on Sept. 3 only and LDWF personnel will be present at the field to issue permits and monitor the hunt. Hunters 16 years of age and older are charged $10 to hunt, while hunters 15 years of age and younger hunt for free. Permits will be issued on a first come, first serve basis until each field is filled.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

(Aug. 30, 2011)– Trout anglers hungry for competition can look forward to an exciting new tournament to hit Lake Pontchartrain this fall. With the success of the 2011 redfish tournaments, the Louisiana Saltwater Series recently expanded to include speckled trout and yellowfin tuna.

Hosted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the seriesis dedicated to catch-and-release saltwater angling through a series of agency-sponsored fishing tournaments. The tag-and-release tournament is scheduled for Saturday, October 22 at The Dock/Dockside Bait and Tackle in Slidell. LDWF officials will be on hand to help weigh, measure tag and release the trout.

Since its inception in 2004, over 38,000 speckled trout have been tagged through Louisiana’s Cooperative Marine Sport Fish Tagging Program. The program has been a cooperative project of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Coastal Conservation Association for seven years. However, tagging data on the species dates back to 1989.

“It is through the tagging process and the supporting information provided by cooperating fishermen that we collect the data necessary for tagging projects to succeed,” said LDWF Assistant Secretary Randy Pausina. “Utilizing volunteer taggers allows us to tag a greater number of fish from a wider geographic area.”

There is a $100 entry fee for the event. For teams consisting of three members, only two of the members may be 16 or older. The tournament is a 100 percent payout, and payout is determined based upon the total number of boats entered. In addition, there will be hourly prize winners. Scales will be open all day, and the overall winners will be determined at weigh in close.

“The purpose of this tournament is to not only provide a competitive opportunity to the large number of anglers who reside in the area, but to introduce as many anglers as possible to our tagging program and the benefits it can yield,” said Pausina.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

August 29, 2011– The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the 2011 commercial fishing season for greater amberjack will reopen in state waters on September 1, at 12:01 a.m., and will remain open until October 30 at 11:59 p.m.

The 2011 season had previously been closed on June 18 as it was predicted that the 2011 quota had been met. However, after reviewing the landings (total amberjack caught and brought to dock measured in pounds) for the 2010 commercial greater amberjack season, fisheries biologists determined that an additional 86,452 pounds were available for harvest. That means commercial fishermen will have an additional 23 percent of the annual harvest available when they hit the waters this fall.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will also open federal waters for commercial amberjack fishing September 1 through October 30.

Greater amberjack are found throughout the Gulf of Mexico as well as in the temperate and tropical Atlantic Ocean. Greater amberjack usually live in nearshore waters out to 300 feet deep. This species is found throughout the Gulf of Mexico, and is often found near offshore platforms, wrecks and artificial reefs. Greater amberjack can reach sizes of three feet in length and weights of 170 pounds.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents responded to a boating crash incident on Aug. 27 in the Amite River Diversion Canal area of Livingston Parish around 7 p.m.

The occupants of a civilian vessel advised LDWF agents patrolling the area of a boating crash incident that just occurred one mile up river. Agents immediately responded and were first on scene.

Upon arrival agents found that the 19-foot vessel had struck and was lodged under a pier. The five occupants of the vessel are listed below:

Jack Riffle, 41, operator; Elizabeth Riffle, 44, wife of Jack; 15 year old girl, daughter of the Riffles; 13-year-old boy, son of the Riffles; and Chico Garcia, 29. All involved are from Baton Rouge and found to have injuries ranging from moderate to very serious

Agents immediately summoned emergency medical responders and began removing debris in order to access and provide basic first-aid to the injured until the advanced medical responders were able to arrive. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation by LDWF.

Aug. 29, 2011-- The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has received photographic evidence of the presence of a cougar in Vernon Parish.

A private citizen sent LDWF a trail camera picture taken Aug. 13, 2011. LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager Maria Davidson and biologist Brandon Wear conducted a site investigation that confirmed the authenticity of the photograph.

“It is quite possible for this animal to be captured on other trail cameras placed at deer bait sites,” Davidson said. “Deer are the primary prey item for cougars; therefore, they are drawn to areas where deer congregate.”

It is unlikely this cougar will remain in any one area longer than it would take to consume a kill. Cougars do not prefer to eat spoiled meat and will move on as soon as the Louisiana heat and humidity take its toll on the kill.

“It is impossible to determine if the animal in the photograph is a wild, free-ranging cougar, or an escaped captive," Davidson added. “Although it is illegal to own a cougar in Louisiana, it is possible that there are some illegally held ’pets’ in the state.”

LDWF has documented several occurrences since 2002. The first cougar sighting was in 2002 by an employee at Lake Fausse Point State Park. That sighting was later confirmed with DNA analysis from scat found at the site. Three trail camera photos were taken of a cougar in Winn, Vernon and Allen parishes in 2008. Subsequently on Nov. 30, 2008, a cougar was shot and killed in a neighborhood by Bossier City Police Department.

The mountain lion, cougar, panther or puma are names that all refer to the same animal. Their color ranges from lighter tan to brownish grey. The only species of big cats that occur as black are the jaguar and leopard. Jaguars are native to South America and leopards are native to Africa. Both species can occur as spotted or black, although in both cases the spotted variety is much more common. Although LDWF receives numerous calls about black panthers, there has never been a documented case of a black cougar anywhere in North America.

The vast majority of these reports received by LDWF cannot be verified due to the very nature of a sighting. Many of the calls are determined to be cases of mistaken identity, with dog tracks making up the majority of the evidence submitted by those reporting cougar sightings. Other animals commonly mistaken for cougars are bobcats and house cats, usually seen from a distance or in varying shades of light.

The significant lack of physical evidence indicates that Louisiana does not have an established, breeding population of cougars. In states that have verified small populations of cougars, physical evidence can readily be found in the form of tracks, cached deer kills, scat and road kills.

The recent sightingsof cougars in Louisiana are believed to be young animals dispersing from existing populations. An expanding population in Texas can produce dispersing individual cougars that move into suitable habitat in Louisiana. Young males are known to disperse from their birthplace and travel hundreds of miles seeking their own territories.

Cougars that occur in Louisiana are protected under state and federal law. Penalties for taking a cougar in Louisiana may include up to one year in jail and/or a $100,000 fine. Anyone with any information regarding the taking of a cougar should call the Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511. Callers may remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

August 26, 2011 – Louisiana officials continue to investigate the impacts of the Temple-Inland discharge of “black liquor” on the Pearl River’s fisheries resources. Numerous levels of assessment are underway by the Louisiana departments of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), Health and Hospitals (DHH), and Environmental Quality (DEQ), including seafood safety testing, waterbody quality tests, testing of private water wells, evaluation of baseline species and efforts to determine the of effects on fish and other aquatic life as a result of the wastewater discharge that occurred on Tuesday, August 9, 2011. State officials continue to work together to assess the incident impact and long-term recovery plans.

Seafood Testing

Fisheries biologists with LDWF collected seafood samples throughout the Pearl River and at the mouth of the river in the Rigolets. DHH sanitarians also collected oyster samples from areas near the mouth of the river to be tested. All of the samples were sent to an independent laboratory in Metairie, La., contracted by DHH.

Eurofins Central Analytical Laboratory, the company which helped test Louisiana’s seafood during the Gulf oil spill, is testing samples from this incident for volatile and semi-volatile organic contaminants. These types of chemicals don’t typically build up in seafood tissue, however, state officials are having these tests conducted out of an abundance of caution.

Determining Fisheries Impacts and Restitution Claims

LDWF is also working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS), Louisiana State University fisheries experts, and officials with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to determine the loss of aquatic life, including fish and freshwater mussels.

Initially, more than 26 species of freshwater fish were identified in the fish kill. They include Paddlefish, American eel, catfish, bass and bluegill. Species with similar characteristics were grouped together in some cases due to the massive volume of fish and the expansive range of the kill. There are, for example, numerous specific species of darter fish in the Pearl River only distinguishable by variations on the dorsal fin, small color variations or other minute differences. Experts with the Tulane University Natural History Museum are working with LDWF fisheries biologists to establish a baseline for species native to the Pearl River. That baseline will serve as the “before” picture for restitution claims.

A total restitution value for the fish kill will be compiled once the investigation is complete. LDWF officials are working with USFWS in their investigation into the deaths of federally listed threatened and endangered species. More than 26 threatened gulf sturgeons were involved in the incident. Work is currently underway to determine its status of the inflated heelsplitter, a threatened freshwater mussel species. In addition to state restitution values for fish and freshwater mussel deaths, Temple-Inland may be subject to civil or criminal fines for those species covered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Officials with LDWF are also developing a three-year monitoring plan to monitor the re-establishment of Pearl River aquatic resources. Selected sampling gears, including electrofishing and nets will be employed under standardized protocol to ensure that results accurately represent the status of recovery. LDWF plans to continue to pursue an agreement with Temple-Inland by which the responsible party would pay for the necessary fisheries resource monitoring.

Waterbody Safety, Monitoring and Ongoing Investigation

DEQ’s Incident Command post is still up and running at Temple-Inland and serves as a central point for DEQ staff to coordinate sampling events and record data. An overflight of the impacted area by DEQ occurred on Wednesday, August 24; during that overflight no dead fish were observed. Overflights will continue to determine if any additional fish remain. If additional fish are located, they will be cleaned up and disposed of by a team on standby for that purpose.

The compliance order and amended compliance order for Temple-Inland have been issued. This is the first step in the legal process for issuing penalties and for ensuring upgrades are in place to better treat and monitor discharges from the facility.

The company has been given permission to begin a limited discharge, which will commence today, August 26. Yesterday, DEQ staff was on site walking through the plan with the company in preparation for the discharge.

DEQ continues to collect water samples along various portions of the river.

The survey will gather water quality information that will be used to restore and protect the waterbody. Data gathered from the survey will be used to identify suspected pollutants in the waterbody that may cause or contribute to low oxygen levels in the water.

Citizens are asked not to tamper with the equipment that will be mounted on rebar, fence posts, white PVC poles or buoys. During the survey, a bright red, non-toxic dye will be injected into the water. Citizens who notice the red coloration of the water should not be alarmed. The water body will return to its normal state and color by the end of the day. The dye is used to determine flow and distribution patterns of the bayou. These patterns are used to establish sampling points for the survey.

DEQ will also install electronic monitoring equipment in conjunction with a water sampling survey on Pearl River in Washington and St. Tammany parishes.

Water Safety Measures

DHH has tested 18 privately owned domestic water wells located near the Pearl River. Results showed that water from these wells is safe to drink under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s safe drinking water standards. DHH collected and tested samples from these private water wells chosen by St. Tammany and Washington parish officials and were within a quarter of a mile of the Pearl River. In Louisiana, the individual well owner is responsible for maintaining and testing their private well. However, in this instance, Temple-Inland is paying for the state’s testing.

Public Health Resources

The Louisiana Poison Center has received 13 calls in the past week regarding the Pearl River spill. Callers are generally requesting details on public health, consuming fish and swimming in affected water. Anyone with questions regarding potential health effects can call the Louisiana Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

August 26, 2011 – Fisheries biologists with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) are investigating reports of crab mortalities by fishermen in Lake Borgne. The reports, which began on Sunday, August 21, were made by commercial fishermen pulling dead fish and crabs from traps through much of the lake. Initial reports indicate that areas of hypoxia, as a result of limited exchange of oxygen from the surface to the bottom layers of the water column, are the cause of these mortalities.

Hypoxic areas in the Gulf of Mexico, sometimes called “dead zones” can cause mortalities for those species unable to quickly relocate to areas where there is oxygen in the water for them to “breathe.” Hypoxic zones can be common along Louisiana’s coast in the summer months. Current hypoxic zones have been occurring in the northern Lake Borgne, the Mississippi Sound, Chandeleur Sound, Breton Sound, Black Bay and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) for approximately the last month, as well as the more well-known areas offshore west of the Mississippi River. Some of these areas have been experiencing some levels of hypoxia for the last two to three months.

While the current series of crab mortalities from hypoxia are in the general region at the mouth of the Pearl River where a dramatic fish kill was reported on August 13, fisheries experts do not believe the two events to be linked. However, out of an abundance of caution, LDWF fisheries biologists collected crab samples and sent them to the independent laboratory, Eurofins Central Analytical Laboratory, contracted by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals for both volatile and semi-volatile testing.

LDWF fisheries biologists report that high levels of freshwater that have inundated Lake Borgne and other waterbodies near the mouth of the Mississippi River likely created hypoxic areas that crab fishermen have encountered.

Unusually large amounts of freshwater has reduced the ability of the water to mix from top to bottom in many areas, affecting dissolved oxygen levels in the lower part of the water column. In addition,high water temperatures further reduce the amount of oxygen the water can hold. Also, the large input of nutrients has led to increased organic production whose decomposition in the bottom layers further reduces oxygen concentrations.

Fisheries biologists with the state will continue to investigate crab and fish mortalities as they are reported. Once results of the tests are made available with DHH, they will be made available for the public. Fish kills are common occurrences in coastal Louisiana during the summer months. LDWF cooperates with other state agencies in monitoring these occurrences on an ongoing basis.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

(August 25, 2011) – For the first time, Louisiana and Texas will share consistent recreational fishing regulations governing their bordering waters. The new regulations are scheduled to go into effect on September 1, 2011. Biologists from the two states have agreed upon regulations that are biologically sound and consistent on both sides of the boundary.

The two states share waters along most of their common border, supporting excellent recreational fisheries and attracting thousands of anglers each year. The line between the two states follows the Old Sabine River down through the middle of Toledo Bend, so anglers currently must abide by two sets of laws.

The potential for error for even the most conscientious angler is extremely high. For example, an angler with a legal fish in Louisiana can simply drift over the state line into Texas waters and be in violation of their regulations. Unfortunately, many anglers have been cited because of the unnecessary confusion.

The proposed compromise regulations for Toledo Bend affect channel, blue and flathead catfish and black and white crappie. Proposed regulations for Caddo Lake and the Sabine River deal with those species in addition to white, yellow, largemouth and spotted bass.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.